1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of cleaning devices such as hand held dusters and dust mops. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cleaning pad that exhibits improved debris adhesion in wet, damp, and dry dusting.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
For decades, hand held feather dusters, dust rags and other cleaning implements have been used as cleaning tools for the removal of dust adhering to furniture such as dressers and coffee tables, electrical appliances such as computers, lights, interior walls, lintels and the like. Thus, it is generally well known to remove dust or dirt from floors, furniture, and other household surfaces by rubbing a dust rag, cloth or other cleaning implement against the surface such that the dust or dirt adheres to the cleaning implement.
Throughout the last half-century, new cleaning implements have been developed to assist the individual in dusting and similar cleaning chores. While hand held dusters and other cleaning implements are generally well known in the art, numerous drawbacks exist with the current commercially available designs. For example, US Application Pub. No. US 2004/0034956 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,813,801, U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,784 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,092, hereby expressly incorporated by reference, disclose variations of hand held cleaning devices incorporating a disposable cleaning pad. These devices, while somewhat suitable for the desired application, exhibit notable limitations. For example, none of the above-cited references provide a convenient storage configuration. Rather, in order to store most prior art hand held cleaning implements, the handle must be physically disassembled from its cleaning pad support member. Additionally, the attachment portions of these known devices often comprise a press fitted member that may weaken over time resulting in the support member disengaging from the handle portion during cleaning.
In addition, a suitable retention means has not been developed to adequately maintain the cleaning pad on the support member, during dusting or other cleaning. For example, the handy mop disclosed in US Application Pub. No. US 2004/0034956 A1, discloses arcuate protrusions along the lateral sides of the parallel attachment plates. The arched surfaces and spacing of these protrusions does not always adequately maintain the dust pad on the plates during cleaning. As one performs the normal dusting or cleaning motion, the pad often slides off the plates.
In general, the majority of improvements to hand held dusters and mops have been directed at improving the basic mechanical components of the cleaning device. These improvements have been directed at providing an inexpensive yet robust implement for dry dusting or cleaning. However, notably absent in the prior art is any attempt to provide a hand held cleaning implement that allows for selective wet, damp or dry dusting.
The addition of water or other cleaning solution to some cleaning pads or systems has been shown to increase the efficiency of the cleaning device in absorbing dust and other debris. Despite this knowledge, there are presently no hand held cleaning systems that include an attached water or cleaning fluid reservoir accessible on the cleaning implement to allow a user to single handedly alternate between wet, damp or dry dusting. To date, prior art dusting and cleaning devices require a user to obtain a separate spray bottle or other liquid application means if one desires wet dusting or cleaning. In light of the need for a wet or damp dusting or cleaning system, there is an additional need for improvements in the cleaning solution associated with such systems.
In light of the need for a wet or damp dusting or cleaning system, there is an additional need for improvements in the cloth or cleaning pad associated with such systems. Many of the known disposable dusting or cleaning cloths include fabrics that do not adequately absorb both water and dust. Some improvements to cleaning cloths have been disclosed in, for example in Japanese PCT RO-101, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference. While some improvements to dusting cloths are disclosed in the art, there remains a need for an improved cleaning fiber and orientation that maximizes the wet and dry absorbency of the dusting pad, while at the same time fully facilitating the advantages of the liquid in the cleaning system.